From Light to Dark: Why Ridley went Dark
by xXKalisaidaXxGhost.of.a.rose.x
Summary: A prequel to Beautiful Creatures. Ridley and Lena are like sisters, they watch Disney together and enjoy playing pranks on their Uncle Macon. But when Uncle Macon becomes ill and Lena is sent to live with her Gramma, she discovers that Ridley is in love. But is her true love all that he seems or is he hiding a dark secret too? CROSSOVER WITH HARRY POTTER AT END.
1. Chapter 1

**Based on the Beautiful Creatures book and movie. Tells the story of Ridley and Lena's life before Ridley is Claimed for the dark.**

Chapter 1

Macon's POV

November 2001

Although Lena had celebrated every birthday at Ravenwood that still hadn't prepared Macon for the news that he was now Lena's legal guardian.

Macon stood nervously on the unstable whitewashed veranda as he gazed into the distance. Lena was an orphan now, and whilst he felt for her loss, Macon couldn't help but think that maybe it was for the best. Sarafine had never been much of a mother and Lena's father had been killed long before she was born.

Still it scared Macon to think that he was now the only person Lena had. Yes, there was crazy Auntie Del and Lena's cousins, Julia, Larkin and Annabel- but Del was hardly able to look after her own children let alone a Natural like Lena.

Macon heard steps behind him and turned to see Amma. The seer and Caster library keeper had been both a mentor and a teacher in the past few months and, with Lila's help, had taught Macon everything he knew about parenting.

"She's going to be here any minute now," Macon said in agitated tone as he paced backwards and forwards, making the wooden decking creak in an ominous way.

"Relax," Amma said putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "Everything will be fine."

There were only two people in the world that could calm Macon when he was anxious, one was Lila and the other Amma.

Deep down he knew Amma was right. He could remember how Lena's jade eyes had lit up when she had seen him for the first time after the fire and the way she smiled in her sweet way. She had ran into his arms and wept, and he had comforted her, stroking her long black curly hair, telling her that she would be safe now, that she would move to Ravenwood and live with Uncle M, who would never let anything bad happen to her again.

Macon watch as the silver Audi pulled up in front of the house. Hearing the roar of the engine, Boo, Macon's wolf-dog, raced down the veranda steps to great Lena.

Lena flung the car door wide open and Boo jumped into her arms.

"Hi ya Boo!" she said in her chirpy, four year old voice, "Ya missed me?"

Boo barked in answer and Lena pressed her face into his long dark fur, taking comfort from his warmth.

After a moment, Macon saw the social worker take Lena away from Boo, half dragging her up the wooden steps.

_Damn social workers!_ Macon shouted in his mind, glad that mortals couldn't Kelt, _Why couldn't they let Lena do things at her own pace?_

"Hello, Uncle," Lena said, almost nervously. Macon was taken aback by his niece's sudden shyness. He felt rage build up inside of him. The social workers hated Macon just as much as he hated them, and although they had searched for every reason to send Lena to a Mortal family they had found none. But living in the children's home had crushed Lena's happy go lucky spirit, something Macon would never forgive.

Macon looked at his niece. Her hair was matted and her blue top and navy jeans looked dirty and poor quality, her trainers had holes in them and were badly scuffed. Lena was thinner than Macon had remembered and looked sickly. Macon felt tears form in his eyes, he was so glad now that his Lena was home.

Lena ran into Macon's outstretched arms.

"I missed you so much," Lena sobbed as Macon stroked her hair.

"Me too," Macon said struggling to hold back tears. He kissed his niece's forehead.

Macon picked Lena up and watched as the social worker gave Amma a carrier bag full of Lena's few possessions before driving off at record speed.

"Will she ever come back?" Lena asked in a trembling voice.

"No, it's just us now," Macon said as he carried her into the house.

The hallway once again had changed. This time it almost looked like a sweet shop, with pink and yellow stripped wallpaper. Any other day, Macon would have been horrified to have seen his home like this. But today was Lena's special day.

"Wow," Lena said in a surprised tone as she gazed around the room. There were tables covered in plates full of cupcakes and cookies, and of course Amma's famous pies. A banner hung from one wall to another with the message 'Welcome home Lena!' written in pink paint. "You all did all this for me."

Macon nodded and placed another kiss on his niece's forehead.

Usually if guests were coming, he would have just let the servants prepare the food and set the tables. But today was Lena's special day and Macon had woken up early to help Amma and Lila make cupcakes and cookies and create a banner. Macon had to admit, if Lena was going to be staying with him permanently, he would have to learn how to cook properly.

Macon watched as Lena ran towards the piano.

"Can you teach me Uncle?" Lena asked.

"Yes, of course," Macon replied smiling. He had tried to teach Larkin and Julia to play only the summer before, but Larkin was certifiably tone deaf and Julia was too impatient. Macon had given up on teaching them within hours.

But Lena wouldn't just learn how to play piano. The Ravenwoods and Duchannes were aristocrats in the Caster world. Lena would have to learn about the arts, culture and language as well as how to cope with the ever increasing amount of power she had as a Natural.

Lena cheekily grabbed a cookie from one of the tables and took a seat on a pink sofa near the fireplace.

"Will Gramma and Auntie Del visit soon?" she asked inquisitively.

"Gramma will be here in the next few days," Macon answered, "Julia's living with her now."

Lena's jade eyes widened in delight, "Will Ridley visit too?"

Ridley was Julia's nickname. Ridley and Lena were like sisters. They had met for the first time at Lena's third birthday party, they had both watched Lion King together for the first time as Lena had demanded that Macon bought it especially, and had stuffed huge slices of chocolate cake and cookies and had both felt sick afterwards. Somehow this had made them best friends and every holiday Ridley would travel down to Gaitlin to meet Lena and Macon, and usually to plot some prank with her cousin.

"I'm sure she wouldn't miss the chance to see you," Macon said, knowing this was more than true. He wondered what prank it would be this time. He knew it would be something more than putting cling film over the toilet seat; both Lena and Julia's powers had developed over the past year. A Siren and a Natural, Macon didn't want to see what would happen as a result.

"So what do you want to do today, Lena Beana?" Macon asked.

Lena stuck her tongue out when Macon used her nickname. He laughed in response.

"Boo says he wants to play hairdresser's," Lena replied thoughtfully.

Boo looked at Macon with distressed eyes and whimpered.

Macon knew the fun was only just beginning.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

September 2003

Ridley's POV

It was Lena's first day at school and naturally Macon was flustered- his attempts at making packed lunches were pitiful and he had finally given in and let Amma do them instead. Ridley could remember her first day of school- Reece had walked with her hand in hand down the street to the school gates. It was one of the few times that Ridley could remember her sister being nice to her, and now that Reece had been claimed for the Dark, it was unlikely she would be like that again.

But Lena was the only family Ridley wanted - so when she noticed that the light snow shower of the day before had turned into a raging blizzard, she knew Lena was upset. Ridley climbed the ivory white spiral staircase leading to Lena's room and knocked on her door. Posters of cartoon shows and boy bands decorated the door and a multi-coloured plastic sign announced that it was Lena's room.

After a moment of silence, Ridley placed her ear to the door. From inside the room she could hear what she thought was crying.

"Are you ok, Lena Beana?" Ridley asked concerned, "Can I come in?"

Again there was no answer. Ridley was really worried now, what could be making Lena so upset?

Ridley opened the door slowly. Lena sat on her bed, hugging Boo, her face buried in his fur. Lena's hair seemed to almost blend in with the wolf-dog's dark fur, almost hiding her.

Ridley sat down at the bottom of the bed, Lena looked up with red rimmed eyes, tear streaks on her cheeks.

Ridley held out her arms and Lena crawled into them. She stroked her cousin's pitch black hair and held her as she sobbed.

"I don't want to leave Uncle Macon," Lena cried and an answering bitterly cold breeze entered through her open window.

"I know you don't, honey," Ridley answered sympathetically, "But school's not that bad, even in Gat-dung."

Lena smiled slightly. Gat-dung was Ridley's nickname for the town. Although, Lena had never left Ravenwood except to visit Gramma or Auntie Del, Ridley had often snuck out several times and, when she wasn't caught by Macon, she would often bring back sweets and magazines from the local shop- stop&steal, as Ridley called it.

Ridley draped a blanket around Lena's shoulders before closing the window. The room was freezing and it wasn't the first time Lena had left the window open when it was snowing. She had asked Macon about it once, but he had gone all quiet and said it was something to do with Sarafine and that Ridley shouldn't talk to Lena about it.

Lena looked up, confused, "Why did you close the window?"

"Because it's like Siberia in here, cuz," Ridley answered equally confused, "Why do you always leave it open during a snowstorm, you'll freeze to death?"

Ridley watched as Lena once again buried her face in Boo's fur. But this time it was almost as if the sobs were trying to tear her apart.

Ridley heard footsteps on the stairs.

"What's going on? Why aren't you in the car?" Macon asked before noticing the two girls sitting on the bed.

Ridley had started crying too now, but she brushed the tears away quickly, trying to stay strong for her cousin. She knew that something terrible had happened to Lena before she moved to Ravenwood.

"I don't want to go!" Lena shouted and Boo jumped, startled. Lena hugged Boo tighter almost as if by hugging him, she could chain herself to the house.

Macon didn't say anything. Instead he picked up Lena and carried her downstairs, ignoring her cries and thrashing. Ridley knew that he didn't want to let Lena go, but it wasn't his choice. And anyway, far worse things were happening, Ridley could see that Macon was becoming weaker, she knew that it was only a matter of time before he would send Lena away to Gramma's, he just couldn't cope anymore.

Lena's different, that was what Uncle M had always said, but the past year and a half had shown Ridley just how much. Lena hardly ever spoke anymore, she had started writing things on the walls and scribbling in notebooks, but that wasn't the worst thing. She left windows open when it was snowing, she hardly ever slept and she often wouldn't eat for days if she thought she had upset Macon- which happened a lot because just like Ridley he worried about Lena's strange behaviour. Ridley's mom had mentioned taking Lena to see a psychiatrist, but Macon had gotten so angry at the idea that Lena had even been afraid to speak to him for days.

Ridley knew deep down that nothing was wrong with Lena. She knew Sarafine was evil and that she had pretty much ignored Lena's needs. Maybe this was just Lena living the way she used to in the past- when she was used to the cold and the hunger.

Ridley joined her cousin and Uncle downstairs in the hall/living room. Lena was still shouting and there was scary amount of stubbornness in her eyes.

"I'll make it snow so hard that we'll be snowed in for days," Lena threatened, crossing her arms and stomping her foot.

Ridley did the best she could not to laugh.

But Macon's reaction surprised both Ridley and Lena.

He sat down in an armchair and held his arms out, Lena ran into them smiling.

"You don't have to go to school," Macon said in a matter of fact tone, "In fact it wouldn't be a good idea to go anywhere near that town. Ridley, you'll stay away from there too, I'll tell them I'm home schooling you."

Ridley knew that this was only the beginning. The old Uncle M wouldn't have given in so easily, he was have resorted to bribery even, just so that Lena could be with other children her own age. But there was worry in his eyes now.

_What's wrong, Uncle?_

_Sarafine._

_I thought she was dead._

_So did I. _

Then it hit Ridley. Macon would be sending them away soon if Sarafine was back, and that would break Lena.

Ridley feared the consequences.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

December 2003

Lila's POV

It was four in the morning and the clear night sky was pitch black. Today was the winter solstice- or Yule as Macon called it. But not only was it Yule, it was Lena's seventh birthday.

Red and gold decorations covered the Ravenwood living room, the traditions Caster colours of Yule. There was a small pine tree in the corner of the room decorated with snowflake and icicle ornaments. Lena had insisted on them having a tree. Lila thought Macon might have resisted, but it seemed he didn't have much to say these days.

Lila watched as Macon sat before fire watching the flames flicker in their dancing orange waltz. Sobs shook him, as if he was suffering a great deal of pain. Which in truth he was.

Lila slowly walked towards Macon and as she sat of the golden sofa next to him, he looked up at her with tear filled eyes.

"You didn't have any other choice," Lila said placing a hand on Macon's arm. Macon and Lila had once been lovers, but Macon was an Incubus and Lila a Mortal, life had been too dangerous for them to be together. They had both made sacrifices. But whilst Lila had married a Mortal man, and raised a Mortal son, only a few months younger than Lena, Macon had shut himself in, further fuelling the rumours that he was the 'Boo Radley' of Gaitlin.

"I can't hurt her, I would never hurt her," Macon whispered, shaking.

"Of course, you wouldn't," Lila replied, "It'll be hard to let go but it's for the best. When Lena's older she'll understand."

"I never wanted this to happen," Macon said, "I thought I could look after her at least until her sixteenth birthday."

Lila watched as the tears consumed him. Macon looked so ill. The past few months, Abraham and Sarafine and their mind games, had all worn him down. In the past Macon only used to take away Lena and Ridley's nightmares. But now he feared he would need more than that to survive. And that was why he was sending Lena away with Ridley, because not only did he fear what Abraham and Sarafine might do to her, he also feared what he might do…

Lena's POV

Lena had never really seen any children of her own age before, except for out of the car windows on the way to her relatives. Of course there was Ridley and Larkin, but they were five and three years old than her. It just wasn't the same.

Uncle Macon had told her the boy was Auntie Lila's son. His name was Ethan. He had chocolate brown eyes and dark curly brown hair and an impish grin. All of Lena's awkwardness dissolved immediately and Ethan and she were soon chatting away like old friends.

Uncle Macon had thought they were just talking innocently but he wouldn't be more wrong. Lena and Ethan were plotting the biggest prank that Lena had ever imagined.

Only a few weeks before Lena's seventh birthday, Lena had been wondering in the forbidden section of Uncle Macon's library. She had stumbled upon a book, laid open on one of the many tables in the room. _The Book of Moons_, the title read.

Lena had flicked through a few of the pages and stumbled upon a changing colour spell and an invisibility spell. Lena had returned a few days later to get the last few details but found the book was out of her reach.

That's where Ethan came in.

Lena told her uncle that she was showing Ethan her bedroom, before sneaking off together hand in hand to the library.

"Are you sure we should be doing this, L?" Ethan asked.

Lena rolled her eyes. "Of course."

Lena opened the library door slowly hearing its familiar creak.

A smile spread over her lips.

She led Ethan towards a shelf at the back of the library. Ethan gave her a leg up and Lena grabbed the book from the shelf before they both tumbled to the floor laughing.

But their laughter was short lived. Uncle Macon snatched the book from his niece's hands before grabbing Lena's wrist and pulling her from the room. He was furious.

"Please, uncle, we were only trying to turned Boo green…" Lena started.

"I told you to NEVER show a mortal your powers and to NEVER touch any of the books in the forbidden section," Uncle Macon said looking his niece straight in the eyes, "I don't care what you were trying to do. You disobeyed my rules and put us all in danger."

Lena's eyes welled with tears.

"Am I going to go Dark?" Lena asked.

Uncle Macon didn't reply. He didn't know the answer any more.

Macon's POV

Macon had decided to take the boy's memories. He would forget all about Lena. Or at least he hoped.

Lena had moved to her Gramma's the day after her birthday.

Except for birthdays and holidays, Macon didn't see Lena again properly until just before her sixteenth birthday.

If he had known all that was to come, maybe he would have made a different choice.


	4. Chapter 4

**So here's the long awaited Chapter 4 and the Ridley/? Harry Potter Crossover Romance… Enjoy!**

**Chapter 4**

March 2006

Lena's POV

_You did what?!_ Lena kelted to Ridley during her Spanish class, _Gramma's gonna kill you!_

_But it was so worth it, cuz! _Ridley replied back.

Sometimes Lena admired Ridley's audacity but this time Lena could only worry about the amount of trouble her cousin would be in when she got home. Ridley had recently turned 14 and it seemed that as every year she got older the more her powers developed. Ridley was a siren- she was able to control people, especially boys.

_Ew!_ Lena answered disgusted as her cousin kelted an image into Lena's mind. In Lena's opinion, Ridley had the worst taste in men, and that was saying something considering Lena was only nine. Lena hoped she wasn't like Ridley when she was a teen. She heard some of the words the older girls used to describe her cousin, the kind of words you didn't use unless you wanted a good hiding from Gramma or Uncle Macon.

Come to think of it…

_R, is Uncle M visiting for Ostara? _Lena asked. Ostara was the spring equinox Caster festival, and one of Lena's favourite holidays.

_Who knows, it's not like I'm going to be there_, Ridley replied, _or like anyone will miss me, apart from you cuz._

_That's not true, Gramma and Uncle Macon love you loads, _Lena replied. She didn't mention Ridley's mom, her Aunt Del, she treated Ridley like she'd already been claimed for the Dark.

_Whatever, did I tell you that Regulus' family celebrate Ostara too? _

_Yeah, a few billion times._

Regulus was Ridley's new infatuation. She swore blind they were meant to be together and maybe they were. Ridley had only ever dated mortal boys before for a few weeks before moving on to the next one but Ridley and Regulus had been together for nearly three months now. Maybe it was because the Blacks were one of the oldest Caster families known to anyone, even older than the Duchannes family.

Lena had only met Regulus once and he had seemed cold and distant to her, like his mind was on something else. He was a year older than Ridley and went to a high school in England, a Caster high school called Hogwarts.

Lena wished that Uncle Macon and Gramma would let her go to a Caster high school when she was old enough but she knew they'd rather have her home schooled. It was hard enough convincing them to let her attend a mortal school.

_So you remember the plan?_ Ridley kelted.

_Yup._

Ridley was going to get into so much trouble.

Macon's POV

Macon hated using public transport but it wasn't possible to travel from one continent to another. Why had his mother chosen to live in Barbados? Why not live closer to home?

A voice sounded in his head, there's only two kinds of people in Gaitlin, the ones to afraid to leave and the ones too stuck to move.

Lila was right. His mother wasn't one of those people.

He got off the aeroplane and saw the small congregation waiting next the airport luggage machine. Lena waved erratically as she saw her Uncle. Ridley stood grumpily, leaning again a white washed wall, not bothering to acknowledge her uncle's arrival.

As soon as Macon got through customs, Lena ran into his arms.

"I missed you," Macon said, laughing, "Haven't you grown?"

Lena stood with her hands on her hips, her face serious.

"You know old people say that; you aren't getting old are you?"

Macon laughed messing up his niece's soft black curly hair.

"Now that's enough, Lena, dear," Del said in usual flustered way, wearing gods knows what on her head, "Your uncle doesn't need silly questions like that."

Lena poked her tongue out in response.

Lena and Macon walked hand in hand to the Rolls Royce waiting outside the airport entrance.

"Did you miss _me_, Uncle Macon?" Ridley asked.

"Oh course, I did," Macon replied astounded that his niece would doubt such a thing.

Ridley looked away. It was clear she'd been the black sheep of the family for too long.

Lena's POV

"Ridley's not feeling too well," Lena said as she sat next to her Uncle Macon at the dinner table.

Kitchen had provided them with a grand feast, peacocks, turkeys and plates full of all manner of things. It was shame Ridley was missing this all for one boy.

"Well, I'm sure she'll join us when she's ready," Gramma replied, "Better not let good food go to waste."

After they all said the Caster version of grace, the feast began. In some ways Lena was relieved that her cousin wasn't there. No one to cause arguments or to blow the whole dining room apart when she didn't get her own way. It seemed oddly peaceful.

Every now and then Lena would pass a chicken drumstick to Boo who would chomp on it happily even though his own china plate was full of them already. Ryan, Lena's two and a half year old cousin, also dropped food onto the floor from her high chair.

"Boo, Boo, Boo," the toddler sung repeated as more and more food landed on Boo's plate and the surrounding floor.

"So I've heard you made the cheerleading team?" Aunt Del asked.

"Yes," Lena replied, "The Golden Eagles."

"Well done," Uncle Macon replied beaming with pride.

"I don't know why you're so obsessed with such mortal things," her aunt replied, "Should be studying herbology or something useful like that."

"Maybe you should follow your own advice, Del" Uncle Macon answered, "Personally I find herbology even duller than that awful Gaitlin paper the Stars and Stripes, and that is saying something. Let the girls have their fun whilst their still young enough to enjoy life."

Lena beamed with happiness at her uncle's response.

Ridley's POV

They stood under the broken street light next to metal gates of the local park.

His hands were on waist and hers were locked around his neck as he bent down to kiss her on the lips.

They kissed for a minute before pulling apart as they attempted to catch their breath.

This was far better than a crumby old Caster feast with a bunch of old relatives who couldn't give a monkey's ass about whether she was there or not.

They kissed again this time even more passionately.

_I love you_, Ridley kelted, _even more than you could ever imagine_.

_I love you, beyond words_; Regulus replied before pulling something out of the pocket of his jacket, I want you to have this.

It was a silver locket, with an emerald snake in the shape of an S on the front of it.


End file.
